Graco Nautilus 65 vs 65 LX

January 24, 2018

The market is filled with lot of convertible seat options and the challenge is to choose the best one for your car. When you buy a convertible seat for your child, you need not change the seat as the child grows and the seats come with convertible features. This saves a lot of amount in purchasing a completely new seat. At present, Graco nautilus 65 and 65 lx are considered as the two best options of convertible booster seats in the market.

Graco nautilus 65

The car seat design is enhanced with safety surround side impact protection technology which ensures that you do not suffer any side impacts when there is a sudden collision. As car accidents are rampant and have been major cause of death in children ageing from 1 to 13 years, you have to take utmost care in choosing the best car seat. Graco nautilus 65 is tested against major side impacts that arouse from crashes that are higher than average.

The seat’s head rest and the harness can be adjusted in a single motion with the help of Simply Safe Adjust system. The seat is provided with open loop belt guides, which help you run the car seat belt through the car seat. The car seat is made highly comfortable with a lot of padding and is fitted with three positioned reclining feature which is not seen in most of the forward facing car seats. The seat’s design also includes a steel frame for additional safety and durability. However, this adds to the total weight of the seat weighing over 20 pounds. This is just above the average weight of any convertible seat.

The seat’s padding can be washed in a machine but the cup holder cannot be removed for washing. This makes it tough to clean the cup holder thoroughly when it gets dirty. There is another holder at the other side of the seat to hold snacks or entertainment. The remaining parts of the car seat can be cleaned using a wet cloth. The seat can accommodate children weighing from 22 to 100 lbs and grows along with your child through three various modes:

1) Five Point Harness Mode

Weight – 22 to 65 lbs
Height – 27 to 49 inches

2) High Back Booster Mode

Weight – 30 to 100 lbs
Height – 38 to 57 inches

3) Backless Booster Mode

Weight – 40 to 100 lbs
Height – 40 to 57 inches

Graco nautilus 65 LX

This 3 in one model car seat can accommodate children weighing up to 120 lbs. The seat offers high safety and durability. The plastic frame combined with steel parts offers added safety. However the weight of the seat increases to 20.5 lbs which makes it difficult to shift from car to car. The 65 lx is tested for impacts during major crashes. An additional test is also performed to check the side impact safety which is not actually required by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The seat was also individually tested by NCAP (New car assessment program) to prove that the seat is capable of withstanding the effect of crashes two times the general standard. To sum up, the seat complies with or exceeds all the safety standards in US.

The key differences between 65 and 65 lx

In the Graco nautilus 65 lx booster mode, the weight limit can be extended to another 20 pounds when compared to 65 that ranges from 65 pounds to 100 pounds in the backless booster mode. Hence the total weight is 120 pounds in backless booster mode for LX.

The hassle free harness storage of 65 LX holds the harness away from the seat which helps in keeping the child buckled as well as in installation. Harness may not be required based on the mode. Certain car seats have a provision to hold the harness in place; however it can still hinder and cause discomfort. This can keep your seat safe and functional.

Though both the versions have similar features and differ only in weight accommodation and harness feature, 65 lx edges out 65 while offering fuss free harness storage. Also, you get additional 20 pounds in booster mode which is an added benefit as you will be using the seat through the three modes. When lot of products designed for children are priced high for useless extra features they add on, the 65 lx price is worthy for its most important additional features. Therefore, Graco nautilus 65 lx can be your perfect choice when you expect durability and satisfaction.